Door or gate operating mechanism



'May 20, '1930. J. o. BARRETT 1,759,293

DOOR OR GATE OPERATiNG MECHANISM Filed Sept. 25, 1928 3 Sheets-Sheet 1 IN VENTOR.

.Jus H I]. Ear-PETE ATTORNEYS.

May 20, 1930. J. o.-. BARRETT 1,759,293

DO QR OR GATE OPERATING MECHANISM Filed sept. 25, 1928 v 5 Sheets-She et 2 JOSEPH ll Barren INVENTOR. I

l I ATTORNEYS. v

1 0, 1930. J. o. BARRETT I 1,759,293

DOOR OR OPERA-TING MECHANISM Filed Sept. 25,. 1928 3 Sheets Shet 3 VENTQ Joseph D. ar'r'e ATTORNEYS.

. Patented May 20, 1930 UNITED STATES.

P QEFFICE Q E I; BARRETT, was senses noon on ATE OPERATING MECHANISM Application filed September 25, 1928. Serial No. 308,168,

sure toeither an open or closed positionfrom.

a location remote fromthe closure and; in the path of travel of the vehicle.

A further object of the invention is to provide an improved type. of door or gate operating mechanism which maybe readily asso ciated with doors or gates ofeither the sliding or swinging type. i

A further object of theinventionistoprovide apparatus of this character embodying a novel arrangement whereby thethrow means forthe closure acts to automatically retain. the closure in either a fully open or fully closed position without the employment of additional latch or keeper means. I

A still further object of theinvention is to provide a closure operating mechanism wherein. the closure will only bepartially. op-

erated by the vehicle, with throwmeans for automatically completing movement of the closure into either an openor closed position and embodying adjustable means for insuring full operation of the closure without un- 0 due shock to the closure and operating mechanism at the completion of movement 'ofthe. closure into either an open or closed position.

Other objects and advantagesof the invention will be apparent during .the course oft-he following detailed description, takenv in connection with. the accompanying drawings forming a partof this specification and in.

which drawings:

Figure 1 is a perspective view showing the operating mechanism applied for actuating a horizontally swinging gate;

Figure 2 is a top plan view showing. the gate in its closed position and a dotted showing of the gate in its open position.

Figure 3 is anenlarged fragmentary view showing the manner in which the throw lever is slidably coup'ledto the inner end of the gate structure.

Figure l is a fragmentary section on line Hof Figure 3.

Figure 5 is anenlarged fragmentary view part in section and showing the position of the throw leverwith respect tothe gate structure when the. gate is at its intermediateposition of movement.

Figure 6 isa perspective view. showingthe principle of the operating. mechanism as .ap-

plied to sliding closures such as the doors of a garage. Y

' Figure 7 is a top plan view of the form of operating mechanism shown in Figure 6.

F igure8 is a fragmentaryv detail view illustratingthe hingemounting for the gate.

In the drawings, and wherein, similarref+ erence characters. designate corresponding parts thruout the several views, and referring to theform ofoperating mechanism as illustrated in Figures .1 .to 5inclusive, the. letter A designates a gate structure adaptedto be actuated by the operating mechanism B.

The gate structure A includesa gate proper 5 formed with upper and. lower rails 6 and 7 respectively and hinge. and: swinging. stiles 8 and 9respectively. The rails .65 and 7. and" the stiles 8 and 9 .are preferably formed from tubular stock material connected at-their ends by suitable angle couplings 10. to providea rectangular shaped gate provided with, suitablefiller rods or wires. 11 preferably extending between the stiles 8 and 9. The coupling fixtures 10 are preferably threaded for threaded reception 'ofthe ends ofth-e rails and. stiles, and .thejcoupling fixtures, at the upper and lower ends of the stile 8 are preferably in vthe'form of T couplings arranged with their straight way openings co-axial with the rails 6 and 7.

The gate. structure A further includes a swinging yoke 12 including horizontal upper and lower rods 13 and 14 respectively .and a vertical guide rod 15 connected: at its ends to the-rods 13 and 14s. The endsof-the. rods 13 and 14 are'connected with the couplings 10.

' provided at theupper and'lower end of the I hinge stile 8with therods. extending in axial alignment with the upper and lower rails .6

and 7. The verticalguide rod 15 extends in parallel spaced apart relationto the vertical hinge sti le 8. Tlie-L-shaped couplings 16 at the upper and lower-ends of the vertica'l guide flax rod 15 provide stops for limiting vertical sliding movement for the vertically and laterally movable end of the combined keeper and throw device 18.

Disposed at one side of the roadway or drive intended to be closed by the gate structure A, is a hanger frame including a pair of uprights 21 and 22 forminga gate post and keeper mounting post respectively. The lower ends of the uprights 21 and 22 are embedded in the ground in any suitable manner, while the upper ends of the uprights are connected by a horizontal cross rail 23 for bracing the upper ends of the uprights andretaining the uprights in vertical parallel spaced apart relation. v The upright or standard 21 is mounted closely adjacent one edge of the roadway or drive; while the upright or standard 22 as will be observed in Figures 1 and 2 is mounted so that the cross rail 23 extends at an angle of substantially 45 to the side line of the roadway or drive. It will also be noted in Figure 2 that the rods 13 and 14 of the swinging yoke 12 are of less length than the cross rail 23 of the hanger frame so that the guide rod 15 may readily swing thru the uprights of the frame when the gate struc ture is swung about the hinge'stile 8 as a'pivot. The upright 21 carries a pairof hinge eyes 24 and in which the upper and lower ends of the hinge stile 8 are pivotally mounted so that the gatestructure will have free swinging movement in a horizontal direction into open and closed positions upon the roadway. As

will be observed in Figure 2 the hinge eyesv extend from the upright 21 at a right angle to the major plane of the hanger frame 20, and which positionin of the hinge eyes will permit of the gate to l of the full line or dotted line showing positions. It may here be well to state that the gate proper 5 is intended :to swing in but one direction into an open' position from a position extending across the drive or roadway.

The combined keeper. and throw device ,or lever '18 for completing movement of the gate structure in either direction and releasably retaining the gate structure in either a fully closed or fully open position includes a pair of parallel spaced apart bars 25 which are pivotally connected by a gimbal or universa-l joint 26 to a suitable pivot bearing 27 carriedby the lower portion of the upright 22. This universal coupling of one end of the lever'18 to the upright 22 permits of free vertical and horizontal swinging of the outer end of the lever as will be readily apparent.

Mounted for vertical sliding movement on pling is provided between the lever 18 and guide rod 15. A weight 30 is longitudinally adjustable along the bars 25 by the bolt 31 and reely swing into either the purpose of this longitudinally adjustable weight will be subsequently explained. As

will be observed in Figures 1 and 3, the keeper or throw lever 18'extends upwardly at a slight angle from the pivotal connection 26 when the outer end of the lever is at its lower limit of movement along the vertical guide rod 15.

Mounted adjacent the outer end of the keeper or throw lever 18 is an eye bolt 32 to which is connected an upwardly extending link 33 whichis preferably provided with an eye at its upper end.

; Referring now to the actuating means for the gate structure, the same includesa pair of stand posts 34 and 35 which are disposed one at each side .of the gate post 31 and preferably in alignment therewith relative to the drive or roadway. The gate proper is intended to swingtoward the stand post 35 and for this reason the post 35 is disposed at a greater distance from the gate post 21 than the spacing ofrthe stand post '34 from the gate post. Each: of the stand posts 34' and 35carries at its upper end a suitable'sheave 36 over which are trained flexible operating cables 37 and 38 associated with the stand posts 7.34 and 35 respectively. 'Pendently supported below the cross rail23 of the hanger frame 20 and at a location adjacent the upright 22is a pair of pulleys 39 thru which the cables 37 and 38 are 'trained'for connection withthe eye provided at the upper an upstanding throw rod'42 tothe upper end of which the cable 37 is attached beneath the sheave 36. The'trip member 40 is mounted to swing about an axis at a right angle to the road or drive way.- A similar trip member 40 is provided for the stand post 35 including a normally upstanding crank portion 41 and an upstanding throw rod 42to the upper end of which the cable 38 i is attached. Thus it will be seen that'when the crank portion of either of the tripmembers 40 or 40 is swung ineither direction that the throw rods will swing to exert a pull upon their respective cables which in turn will exert an upward movement to the outer end of the throw lever 18.

In operation of the gate, and assuming that the vehicle is approaching the gate from that side at which the stand post 34 is disposed the vehicle wheels will engage'the 'crank portion 41 and swing the same to a horizontal positionupon the road surface and so swing the throw ro d42 as to exert a' pull upon the cable 37. This pull. exerted upon the cable 37 will act to lift the outer end of the throw lever 18 and as the sleeve 3;

28 rides upwardly along the guide rod 15 the guide rod will be drawn toward the upright 22 into a position such as illustrated in Figure 5. the throw lever 18 continues until the gate structure has completed one-half of its swinging movement and with the longitudinal axis of the gate rails 6 and 7 substantially parallel with the horizontal cross rail 23 of the hanger-frame 20 The swinging momentum ofthe gate structure carries the gate slightly past its halfway center of movement and the weight 30 upon the throw lever will then depress the outer end of the lever and cause the sleeve 28 to ride downwardly on the guide rod 15 for completing movement of the gate to its fully open position as shown by dotted lines in Figure 2. After the vehicle passes thru the gate open ing the wheels thereof will engage the trip member 40 and exert a pull upon-the cable 38 sothat the throw lever 18 is again operated for swinging the gate to a closed po sition.

A means is provided for manually opening and closing the gate, and this means preferably consists of a ropeor cable 44 one end of which is attached to the swinging stile 9 of the gate while the opposite end of the cable is attached to the cable 38 between the sheave 36 and pulley 39. When a pull is exerted on the rope 44 the throw lever 18 will be swung upwardly at its outer end in a like manner as when actuated by either of the trip members.

By adjusting the weight 30 along the lever 18 toward and away from the sleeve 28 will control swinging movement of the gate to a fully open or closed position without undue strain or jarring at its completion of movement in either direction.

Referring now particularly to Figures 6' and 7 and wherein the principle of the operating mechanism has been shown applied to a pair of sliding doors 50 and 52, an upright or standard 53 and 54 is provided for each of the doors 50 and 52 respectively. Arranged vertically upon each of the doors 50 and 52 is a guide rod 55 corresponding to the yoke 12 carried by the gate proper 5 illustrated in Figure 1. Swivelly connected as by means of a universal oint56 to the lower portion of each upright 53 and 54 is a combined keeper and throw device or lever 57 having its opposite end pivotally connected to a sleeve 58 slidable vertically on the guide rods 55. A weight 59 is longitudinally adjustable along each of the levers 57 toward and away from the universal couplings 56. Carried by the upper end of each upright 52' and 54 is a suitable sheave 01' pulley 60, and trained thru each sheave 60 is an operatin cable 61 having their ends connected to t eir respective throw levers adjacent the sleeve 58. The cables 61 .are

This upward movement of suitably connected to. a control cable 62 which is; trained over a sheave 63 carried by the upper; end ofa stand post-64 mounted to one side of theroadway or, drive leadingto the doors 50: and 52. A trip member 55 is mounted in the roadway or drive and is connected to the cable 6.2.to exert a pull thereon when the trip member isoperated by the wheel of a vehicle.

In Figure 7has'been shown by dotted lines the positions of the throw levers when the Sliding doors are in an open position. The manner of operation of the mechanism for opening andclosing the sliding doors 50 and 52 is thought to be readily apparent.

From the foregoing description it will be apparent that a novel and improved type of closure operating mechanism has been provided which may be readily applied to doors or gates of either the sliding or swinging type, and embodying a novel I combined keeper and throw device which acts to automatically retain the door or gate in either a fully open or fully closed position without requiring latching means for retaining the closures in either of their adjusted positions. It will also be apparent that a novel arrangement has been provided wherein shock and jars to the closure elements is eliminated by the provision of means for causing the closure to be self operating when moved thru one half of its path of movement.

Changes in detail may be made to the forms of invention herein shown and described, without departing from the spirit of the invention or the scope of the following claims.

I claim:

1. In an operating mechanism for clo-- the outer end of the throw lever, a tripmember connected with the opposite end of the cable to exert a pull on the cable for effecting initial movement of the closure from either an open or closed position, and weight means on the throw lever to cause downward sliding movement of the outer end of the lever on the guide rod for completing movement of the closureinto either an open or closed position.

2. In an operating mechanism for horizontally swinging gates including a hinge stile, a swinging yoke connected with the hinge stile and including a vertical guide rod, a hanger frame including a pair of up rights providing a hinge post and a mounting post connected at their upper ends by a cross rail, means hingedly connecting the hinge stile to the hinge post forswinging movement of the guide rod beneath said cross ra-i1,a throw 'lever swivelly mounted'at one end upon the lower portion of the mounting post, means pivotall and slidably connecting the outerjend o the throw lever to the guide rod, .a sheave carried by the cross rail an operating cable trained over the sheave ,with one end connected to the throw lever, a

trip member connected with the opposite end of the cable for exerting'a pull thereon to cause upward swinging of the outer end of the throw lever, and a weight member carried by the throw lever for normally urging the outer end thereof downwardly.

JOSEPH o. BARRETT. 

